This volume is part of the Smithsonian Institution’s Handbook of North American Indians series, the ultimate resource for Native American history across various regions of North America. The set is intended to give an encyclopedic summary of what is know about the prehistory, history, and cultures of the aboriginal peoples of North America north of the urban civilizations of central Mexico.

Volume 7 provides background information on the native peoples of the Northwest Coastal environment, their languages, and early history. Also contains sections on mythology, art, and the Indian Shaker Church.

Researchers, especially students in middle grades and above, may find this resource useful for writing papers related to topics of North American Indians and multicultural topics. U.S. public, middle school, high-school, community college, and 4-year academic college and university libraries may want to have the entire Handbook of North American Indians series available for their minorities and social science reference collections.